Question: The sides of this parallelogram measure 7,9, $8y-1$ and $2x+3$ units, consecutively. What is the value of $x+y$?

[asy]draw((0,0)--(21,0)--(30,25)--(9,25)--cycle);
label("$8y-1$",(10,0),S);
label("9",(25.5,12.5),E);
label("7",(19.5,25),N);
label("$2x+3$",(4.5,12.5),W);
[/asy]
Answer: We know that opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal, thus, we can set: \begin{align*}
2x + 3 &= 9
\\8y - 1 &= 7
\end{align*}Thus, $2x = 6 \rightarrow x = 3$, and $8y = 8 \rightarrow y = 1$, thus $x + y = \boxed{4}$.